Letting the Cat Out of the Bag
by Itsjustshe
Summary: Francine explains why she won't go on an overnight assignment with Lee. Sequel to Let Sleeping Dogs Lie
Disclaimer: "Scarecrow and Mrs. King" is copyrighted to Warner Brothers and Shoot the Moon Productions. The plot is mine, but not the characters. This story is meant for enjoyment purposes only. No infringement is intended.

Author's Note: This story is a companion piece to my story Let Lying Dogs Sleep set in the beginning of season 3. It wouldn't be as good if it wasn't for Lanie and Taya. Who have both encouraged (and nagged) me into writing again.

It was fun to watch Lee Stetson when Amanda was not around. He seemed almost lost. Like he knows he's missing something, but is not quite sure what it is. I was trying to discreetly watch his reaction to the news that I would not go on this assignment with him. Discreetly, hhhmmm, not easy to do when you are sitting in a room full of spies. Spending four days playing Mrs. Stetson at a high society spa is something I would normally jump at, but not until Lee gets his head straight and either lets Amanda know how he feels or moves on to the next steno girl. As much as I wanted to watch this show of Lee pacing back and forth, wearing the carpet in Billy's office thin, I needed to be long gone before he reaches his breaking point, flies out of the office in frustration and demands an explanation from me. I didn't want to explain. I shouldn't have to explain. After our last mission where he got a good night's sleep and I got bruised, I let Billy know in no uncertain terms that I would no work another assignment as Lee's wife until he gets his personal situation under control. After Billy finally stopped laughing at my bruised...uummm...ego, he finally agreed with me. It wasn't my fault that Little Miss Perfect was out of town. Uh-oh, time to make myself scarce, it looked like the meeting was ending.

Meanwhile in the office…

"So Billy, what you are telling me is that Francine is flat out refusing to go on this or any other overnight mission with me." Lee growled at his boss.

"Yes, Lee, that is exactly what I'm telling you." Billy nodded at his best agent.

"But you won't tell me why?"

"Nope." Billy shook his head.

"Well then, will you at least tell me what I'm supposed to do then? You're sending me to a very exclusive spa as a married man, but you're not sending a partner with me? Amanda is away for this week in Maine with her family. Francine is the only available female agent and it's imperative that I have a 'wife' to come with me since I'll need a woman to go into places I won't be able to go." Lee stopped his pacing momentarily and looked at Billy who just continued to shake his head. Realizing he wasn't getting anywhere with his boss, he continued to pace.

"Lee, calm down. I have two people of the female persuasion to accompany you. You have your choice between Sophie from Steno, who has been doing some low-level surveillance work for the last year or Jodi, a freshman agent who is already showing positive results."

"Great, just great." Lee mumbled, "So my choices are someone who hasn't gotten her feet wet or a dumb blonde."

"Lee, Jodi has more than gotten her "feet wet" and Sophie is not a dumb blonde."

"Billy, I was referring to Jodi as the dumb blonde, Sophie is a brunette."

"Lee, I spoke with Sophie today, she is almost as blonde as Francine."

"Believe me Billy, she, like Francine, is definitely a brunette." Lee gave him a pointed stare.

"Lee, I know what I saw!" Billy stated adamantly.

"Yeah and I know what I saw."

"Man, what are you talking about?" Finally noticing Lee's stare, "Oh, well now knowing your personal history, I suggest you take Jodi then. We wouldn't want Amanda to get jealous."

"Billy," Lee drew out his name. "There is no reason for Amanda to get jealous, we're just friends and anyway, she wouldn't have any reason to be upset if Francine would just go with me. Will you please explain to me why she refuses to work with me?"

"No, Francine asked me not to tell you. She'll tell you when you're ready to hear it. Now, I'll let Jodi know to meet you upstairs in the Q bureau in ten minutes and you can fill her in. Check-in time at the spa is two o'clock and I expect you to be there on time and to treat her right."

As I approached the door I started to second-guess myself. Maybe I should give it another day before I talk to Lee. No, Francine, you must face your fears! I'm sure he is mad at me. Why else would he be avoiding me. It's not my fault that Jodi blew the mission. I would think he would be used to having his partner not follow direct orders.

I got no response from my first knock so I tried again. I know he's here, I saw his car parked at the curb.

"Lee Stetson, we need to talk. Let me in!" I yelled hoping that I would shame him into opening the door.

Still getting no answer, I continued to knock and yell. "I mean it, Lee! Let me in or I'll let myself in."

"Ahhhmmm."

"Oh, hi," I looked at the neighbor poking his head out his door. "Do you happen to know if Mr. Stetson is home?"

"Sorry, Dear, I haven't seen him all day but I did hear his door shut about an hour ago." The grey-haired man informed me while eyeing me suspiciously.

"Thank you, that is very helpful. Since his car is parked out front, I guess he's home. I have a key so I'll just let myself in." As I pasted on my best sugary smile, I started to rummage through my purse looking for a key that I knew I did not possess to prove to this nosy neighbor that I do indeed belong there. Old men love me.

The man returned my smile but didn't return to his apartment. "I thought Mrs. King was the only woman with a key to Mr. Stetson's apartment?"

"Oh, I didn't realize Amanda had a key, but that would make sense seeing that she is his secretary. He does call on her occasionally to water his plants and pick up his mail when he travels." Amanda has keys to Lee's apartment? Lee doesn't give anyone his keys. Maybe there is more going on here than I am aware of but once I get into his apartment, I'll find out the whole story. There is no way I'm leaving here until I get to the bottom of this.

I pulled out a key and my handy lock pick at the same time and pretended to unlock the door which seemed to satisfy him enough to make him go back into his apartment. Figuring I only had a short time before he would look out again, I made quick work with the pick and disappeared into Lee's apartment.

Immediately noticing the drawn shades, I walked into the living room and spotted the bottles of cough syrup and Tylenol. Lee must really be sick and here I thought he was avoiding me by calling in sick. Picking up the note that sat next to the bottles, I began to read.

 **"I figure you will be asleep for a while, but just in case you wake up, I wanted you to know that I will be back before you need to take your medicine again. I'll pick up your dry cleaning. I have the shopping list to restock the refrigerator. Growing boys really do eat a lot. Once I drop the stuff off at the house, I'll be back to check on you with the chicken soup you love. As they say, chicken soup cures all that ails you."**

Not sure how long I had before Amanda returned, but wanting to get this over with, I approached Lee's bedroom. I hadn't been in this room before since he moves so often. He downgraded to a queen size bed instead of his usual king. I wonder when that happened? He liked to have plenty of space when he slept.

Feeling the chill in the air, I now understood why Lee was wrapped up in the blankets. The open window must be Amanda's idea. Maybe trying to air out the germs. So motherly of her.

Taking a deep breath I started, "Lee, Lee, we need to talk." Seeing movement under the blankets, I continued, not really wanting to see his face when I say what I have come here to say. "I know you wondered why I refuse to work with you on overnight assignments and I'm here to tell you why. So just lie there and listen to me. I don't want to argue with you. I know what I heard. I have watched you for the last year and know that I am right about all of this. You love Amanda." I see a little more movement under the covers, but he continued to play like he was sleeping.

Did he really think I was some dumb blonde? Well, he, of all people, should know that I am not. I'm as trained as he is. He might have seniority but with my current position as Billy's right-hand woman, I'm trusted with more secrets than he is.

As my anger grew, so did my voice. "Okay so you don't want to come out of your cocoon and face me, that's fine Stetson. I don't need to see your eyes to know the truth. I already know it and so does Billy. It's time you face the reality."

Still nothing so I continued. "You have been following your little housewife around like a lost puppy dog for some time now. You find reasons to call her into the office when there are plenty of other capable people to help you. The whole agency knows that you have dinner with her at least once a week and then, of course, how many times you have been spotted lurking outside her window just to get a glance at her." Lee must be in full denial. He didn't move. "Okay, I have a point to prove and that is just what I'm going to do. The last mission we were on together. You remember the one where you ended up drunk and passed out in the hotel room while I met your contact? Well, it wasn't my name you were mumbling. It wasn't even Leslie, the girlfriend who you claimed could be the love of your life, the one you have waited so long for. No, nothing about her. It was Amanda. Over and over, you kept mumbling Amanda." Some movement from the bed proved that he was listening to me. Maybe he was deciding whether or not it was true. Did he love Amanda? Well if he didn't he sure wanted her. Okay, he was just toying with me not poking his head out of his self made rabbit's hole. Lee Stetson could be such an aggravating man sometimes. Okay, you want to play it that way, so can I.

My ire couldn't be contained any longer. "You, Lee Stetson, are deeply, madly in love with Amanda King!"

"I am?" Lee's words cut through my anger, but wait, they weren't coming from the bed. I spun around to find Lee standing in his doorway holding a bag from the gourmet market down the street and a pharmacy bag.

I quickly look towards the bed just in time to see Amanda drawing the covers from over her head. "Lee! Amanda!" Oh God, what have I done?

"Amanda, your note said you were at the market and picking up Lee's dry cleaning. What are you doing in Lee's bed?"

"I was sleeping until you showed up." Amanda whispered. Her usual throaty voice carried a deeper, scratchy sound to it.

"Yes, but why here, why in Lee's bed?" Turning once again to face Lee, I added, "You called in sick. Why aren't you in bed with Amanda taking care of you? Why is your car parked outside?" I looked at Amanda again "Why aren't you in Maine?"

"Francine." Lee's curt tone had me once again spinning towards him. "I'll answer all of your questions if you answer this. Why did you feel the need to break into my apartment to tell Amanda that you believe that I am in love with her?"

"I wasn't telling Amanda, I was telling you."

"But you didn't tell me, you told Amanda." He hadn't moved from the doorway and his tone was still even and off-putting.

"I assumed that since your car was out front and this is your apartment, that it was you asleep in your bed. Billy said you were sick. What else was I to think?" I went on the defensive.

"You were to think that since I didn't answer my door, since I'm assuming you knocked, that you should have waited to have this conversation." Again, no emotion showed on his face or in his voice. He must be really mad at me.

"You're the one that wanted to know why I refused to work an overnight assignment with you. You're the one who's been avoiding me since your assignment with Jodi went bust. You're the one who called out Amanda's name in a drunken stupor." My anger returned with a vengeance. "And why aren't you in Maine with your family?" I knew I was getting nowhere with Lee so I once again turned my attention to Amanda. If she had only been in Maine, this would never have happened.

"I got sick before they left, so I decided to stay home. Lee saw me going into the pharmacy yesterday after I left my doctor's office and when he found out I was going to be alone, insisted that I come here so he could make sure I was taken care of." Her coughing fit stopped all further conversation as Lee put the bags down and rushed to her side and rubbed her back soothingly until her coughing stopped and she caught her breath. He then reached for the glass on his nightstand and held it to her lips not allowing her too much at a time. She smiled at him gratefully and then settled back into the pillows.

"Amanda, why don't you rest a little while longer while I heat up the soup? You still have another hour before you can take your medication, but I did get some cough drops if you want them."

I passed Lee the bag that he gestured to and left the room.

Lee loved Amanda. I was more sure of that now than I had been before. Maybe he was not ready to admit it to the outside world, but Amanda knew it and Lee knew it and wasn't that all that mattered? Hearing the whispered tones coming from Lee's bedroom, I quickly made my exit. I was sure that Lee would confront me soon but for now, Scarecrow needed to take care of his Mrs. King, which was only right since she has been taking care of him for so long.


End file.
